The following list includes historical native tribes living within the present boundaries of China, non-Chinese tribes who founded dynasties on Chinese soil (as well as the names of their states, like both Qidan 契丹 / Kitans, and Liao 遼), and foreign states and peoples with which the Chinese dynasties had established "diplomatic relations" (like Anxi 安息 / Parthia, or Paekche 百濟). It does not include peoples officially designated as "national minorities" by the People's Republic of China.

All names are rendered in the Chinese version and the original name (like Baiji and Paekche). In some cases, several transcriptions are provided (like Beshbalik, Bešbalik, Bešbaliq). Foreign states are only given from the Chinese perspective (there is, therefore, no keyword "Persia"), except for the case of India (Tianzhu 天竺). States of Europe and America are not included.

The Chinese names of states of Southeast and South Asia and the Near East are only included as keywords, without articles referring to them (lists of these countries can be found in the table of contents of the books Yingya shenglan 瀛涯勝覽 and Xingcha shenglan 星槎勝覽). A complete list of the countries of the Tarim Basin and beyond can be found in the article on the Silk Road.